Can-opener



No Model.)

H. BALDBIDGE.

CAN OPENER.

No. 566,265. Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

W L J? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN BALDRIDGE, OF SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,265, dated August 18, 1896.

Application filed April 17, 1895.

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERMAN BALDRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Bernardino, inthe county of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented a new and useful Can-Opener, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive can-opener which will be superior in its operation to can-openers now in use.

A special object of my invention is to provide a can-opener with which the cover of the can may be smoothly cut flush with the wall to which it is attached, thus leaving the full height of the wall and no inward projection to obstruct the removal of the contents of the can.

Another object of my invention is to provide for a more easy and convenient insertion of the opener into its cutting position in the can.

Another object is to provide a gripping device which will absolutely prevent any slipping of the can-opener during the act of cutting.

My invention relates to those can'openers which cut with a downward movement of a handle, which acts as a lever. One difficulty which attends the use of the can openers of this class which have come under. my notice is their liability to slip out of the slit or out which they have made; that is to say, at the close of the downward movement of the handle the point of the implement is liable to be thrown above the plane of the tin and out of the slit, and the operator has to again insert the blade in the slit before he can continue the work. One object of my invention is to avoid this difficulty and prevent accidental withdrawals of the blade from the slit. I accomplish this obj ect by the peculiar construction of the blade, which will hereinafter be pointed out and whereby, when the handle is brought to a position parallel with the plane of the top of the can, the point of the cutting edge will be below such plane and will not be withdrawn.

My new can-opener is simple and very easy to clean.

My newly-invented can-opener comprises a blade having a cutting edge extending ob- Serlal No. 546,140. (Nomodeld liquely from the shank to the back of the blade and having in its back a deep tin-canwall-receiving notch, which forms at the rear of the back of the blade a can-wall-gripping lip, such lip being bent laterally from the blade to form between its side and the side of that portion of the blade which is between the lip and the point an acute angle, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, so that when the blade is inserted into the top of the can the wall of the can will be gripped between the side of the blade and the side of the lip. In practice the gripping is so forcible as to cause the tool to crimp the wall of the can where gripped and thus absolutely prevent any slipping of the tool.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of my new can-opener in position for opening a can. Fig. 2 is an elevation looking at the point and toward the handle of the implement. Fig. 3 is an elevation of that side of the implement which is outermost when in use. A fragment of a can is shown, and the implement is shown in horizontal position at the close of a downward stroke of the handle. Fig. 4 is a plan of the opposite side. Fig. 5 is a plan of the back or under edge of the blade.

My new can-opener comprises a blade A, provided on one side at one edge with an oblique can-wall-gripping fulcrum-lip a, and having its other edge, b, sharp and oblique to the blade. The oblique cutting edge is preferably curved. The oblique lip forms with the body of the blade a V-shaped wall-receiving notch c. The V-shaped notch a between the lip and the body of the blade, which is clearly shown in the end elevation, Fig. 2, receives the wall of the can in its upper portion and its walls Wedge and grip the same, and as the tool is pried upon with the wall of the can as its fulcrum the lip and the body of the blade, one upon each side of, the can-wall, clamp the wall sufficiently tight to absolutely prevent the tool from slipping either backward or forward.

The cutting edge I) of the blade is oblique to the axis of the blade, and is also preferably beveled on only one side of the blade; namely, on that side which is opposite the projecting lip and opposite the wall of the can when the tool is being used. This is a preferable construction, although I do not wish my claims to be limited thereto, for the tool will operate when sharpened on the other side or on both sides. The object of making the side of the blade from which the lip projects plain or flat clear to the cutting edge is to bring the cutting edge close to the wall of the can when the same is clamped between the lip and the body of the blade, thus bringing the cutting edge in direct line with the inner side of the wall of the can at the place where the tin is being out.

The back of the blade opposite the oblique cutting edge is preferably parallel with the axis of the blade and is provided with a series of teeth d. The purpose of these teeth is to form catches to catch under the tin and thus hold the blade and prevent it from slipping out of the opening when the implement is pried to enlarge the opening until the tool has been sufficiently inserted for the wall of the can D to enter the notch 0 between the lip and the body of the blade. The side of the blade along the toothed edge is preferably beveled to the point e of the blade and the notches between the teeth are made to extend only a part of the depth of the bevel. The teeth are made in ratchet shape, sloping away from the point to form hooked teeth or sharp shoulders, so as to catch the tin to prevent slipping.

In practical operation the point of the tool is placed upon the tin and is forced through the tin by a blow or by pressure upon the end of the handle F to drive the point through the tin far enough for one or more of the teeth to pass into the can beneath the tin. Then the handle of the implement is pried forward and one of the teeth 01 catches under the tin and holds the blade from prying out--that is to say, the tooth holds the notched back in its position with the edge of the tin in one of the notches, so that the blade will not slip out when the implement is pulled forward. The sharpened edge will thus be made to out the tin and enlarge the opening, and then the implement is pried back and inserted deeper and then pried forward again, thus again enlarging the opening, and the motion is re peated until the body of the blade can be inserted to bring the wall of the can into the notch between the lip and the body of the blade. Then the implement is pried in the opposite direction, care being had to keep the point of the blade in direct contact with the wall of the can. This causes the oblique cutting edge to cut the cover away fiush with the wall of the can. When the handle has been brought down to the level of the can-top, the

point of the implement is still below the top of the can and there is no liability of its being accidentally withdrawn.

To manufacture the implement, the blade is made of a single piece of steel notched on one edge and cut in on the notched edge to form the lip, and said lip is then bent into its oblique position, the opposite edge being made oblique to the blade and sharpened, as shown.

The two bevels 1 and 2, as shown, give to the end of the implement a sharp strong point for penetrating the tin;

The notch 0, formed by the main body and l the bent lip, may be made by simply cutting a slit in the metal from its back and bending the lip outward, or it may be formed by cutting a V-shaped piece out of the back, as shown.

It is preferable to have the notch cut in from the edge far enough to bring the fulcrum or can-wall-gripping point of the notch l approximately midway between the back of the blade and the extended parallel plane of the rear end of the edge. This arrangement fulcrums the implement so that at any position of the cutting edge great power can be exerted thereon, and allows of a greater cutting length of blade.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The can-opener set forth comprising a blade provided with a cutting edge which is oblique to the axis of the blade, and the back of which blade is parallel with the axis of the blade, and which is provided with the bent lip a and the deep can-wall-receiving notch c which extends into the blade far enough to bring the fulcrum or can-wall-gripping point of the notch approximately midway between the back of the blade and the extended parallel plane of the rear end of the edge; whereby, when the handle is brought to a level with the can-top, in the act of cutting the same, the point of the blade will not be withdrawn from the slit.

2.. A can-opener consisting of a blade having an oblique lip projecting from one face at one edge thereof, and having the cutting edge oblique and beveled on the other side of the blade opposite that from which the lip projects and having the other edge joining such oblique edge to form the point and beveled on the same face of the blade with the cutting edge and provided with the tin-catching teeth.

HERMAN BALDRID GE.

Witnesses:

JAMES R. TOWNSEND, ALFRED I. TOWNSEND. 

